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Show ContentsGeorge History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
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Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

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The Anglo-Saxon name George comes from the given name of the father and was typically denoted as "the son of George." The personal name George was originally derived from the Greek word which means someone who was a farmer or someone who worked the land. 1

Another source claims a Norman influence as the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae lists Richard and William de St. Georgio in Normandy as well as Robert, William, Ralph de St. Georgio were listed there 1180-1195. 2

Interestingly, one source notes the variant Georges was of some note, particularly in Ireland: "Of the family planted by the Georges of Hastings, branches spread over the counties of Hertford, Dorset, Somerset, and Wilts. In the last named shires it was seated at Longford, and possessed so influential a position, that Sir Edward Georges, of Longford, obtained a baronetcy in 1612, and was afterwards raised to the peerage of Ireland, as Baron Georges, of Dundalk. " 3

The Charge variant is derived from "Gardge, Gordge, Gorges, or Gaurges, from Gaurges in the Cotentin. Ralph de Gorges married the heiress of Morville, and acquired her estates in Dorset. Raoulde Gorges, married an heiress of Morville, and had the manors of Wraxall and Bradpole, cos. Dorset and Somerset, and was sheriff of Devonshire." 4 2 "The chateau de Gorges, one of whose lords was at the battle of Hastings, stands in the parish of the same name, in the canton of Periers, department of La Manche, Normandy." 4

Early Origins of the George family

The surname George was first found in Dorset where it is noted as a somewhat rare name in mediaeval records. The popularity of the name increased during the Crusades which brought more contact with the Orthodox Church. St. George, who slew his famous dragon in 303 A.D., may have inspired the use of this name.

In 1348, Edward III founded the Order of the Garter under the patronage of St. George and by 1415, a yearly festival was set in place that continues today. Today, St. George is considered the patron saint of England.

One of the first records was Hugo filius Georgii who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of 1222 in Norfolk. 5

By the time of the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, the name was scattered throughout ancient England and Wales. Those rolls listed: Robert Gorge in Oxfordshire; William Gorge in Cambridgeshire; and Jeorgius Clericus in Lincolnshire. 6

Guppy notes the "name at present most numerous in Monmouthshire, and after that in South Wales. Bare in the south coast counties, excepting Cornwall, and in the north of England, north of the Wash and the Dee." 7

Further to the north in Scotland, the name appeared later as "it was a not uncommon surname in Prestwick in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Archibald George appears as burgess and councillor of Irvine, 1597." 8

Early History of the George family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our George research. Another 129 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1412, 1471, 1511, 1566, 1594, 1625, 1626, 1640, 1644, 1647, 1674, 1677, 1678, 1690, 1700, 1797 and 1890 are included under the topic Early George History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

George Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name George has appeared include George, Gorge, Gorges, Georgeson and others.

Early Notables of the George family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • John George (1594-1677), an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1626 and 1678
  • John George (d. 1690), was an English officer of the Royal Navy, Secretary of the Dominion of New England, killed in action with a French warship off Cape Sable Island

George World Ranking

In the United States, the name George is the 230th most popular surname with an estimated 114,402 people with that name. 9 However, in Canada, the name George is ranked the 313rd most popular surname with an estimated 14,128 people with that name. 10 And in France, the name George is the 568th popular surname with an estimated 8,225 people with that name. 11 Australia ranks George as 177th with 17,884 people. 12 New Zealand ranks George as 215th with 2,654 people. 13 The United Kingdom ranks George as 239th with 24,762 people. 14 South Africa ranks George as 332nd with 20,251 people. 15

Ireland Migration of the George family to Ireland

Some of the George family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 71 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

United States George migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name George arrived in North America very early:

George Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Griffeth George, who arrived in Virginia in 1619 16
  • John George, who landed in Virginia in 1632 16
  • Henry George, aged 19, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Assurance" 16
  • Jane George, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 16
  • William George, who arrived in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1637 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
George Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Rebecca George, who landed in Virginia in 1702 16
  • Jean George, who arrived in Louisiana in 1718 16
  • Joh Christoph George, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1751 16
  • Edmund George, who arrived in America in 1760 16
  • Francois George, who landed in South Carolina in 1763 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
George Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert George, who landed in America in 1806 16
  • Matthew George, who landed in America in 1810 16
  • M George, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 16
  • Martha George, who landed in New York, NY in 1811 16
  • Eliza George, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 16
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
George Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Joe George, who landed in Mississippi in 1903 16
  • Albert George, who arrived in Mississippi in 1905 16
  • Michael George, who arrived in Mississippi in 1905 16
  • Petro George, who arrived in Mississippi in 1913 16
  • John George, who landed in Alabama in 1928 16

Canada George migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

George Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. John George U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 461 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 17
  • Mr. William George U.E. who settled in St. Andrews, New Brunswick c. 1784 member of the Port Matoon Association 17
  • Mr. John George U.E. who settled in Ernest Town [Ernestown], Ontario c. 1784 17
George Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Samuel George, who landed in Canada in 1830
  • Isaac Lyman George, who landed in Canada in 1839
George Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • R George, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
  • G George, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

Australia George migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

George Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John George, (b. 1799), aged 15, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 8th August 1814, sentenced for life for stealing a watch and wearing apparel, transported aboard the ship "Northampton" in December 1814 to New South Wales, Australia 18
  • Mr. John George, English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 19
  • Mr. John George, (b. 1799), aged 16, Cornish gardener who was convicted in Cornwall, England for life for theft, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 19
  • Mr. Walker George, (b. 1796), aged 22, Irish labourer who was convicted in Kilkenny, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 9th August 1818, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died in 1876 20
  • Mr. David George, (b. 1807), aged 19, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for life for felony, transported aboard the "Earl St Vincent" on 20th April 1826, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land), he died in 1855 21
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand George migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

George Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Thomas George, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • Mr. William George, (b. 1814), aged 27, British blacksmith travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 22
  • Mrs. Ann George, (b. 1815), aged 26, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 22
  • Miss Ann Bennett George, (b. 1834), aged 7, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 22
  • Miss Georgiana George, (b. 1836), aged 5, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 22
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies George migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 23
George Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Hubbard George, (b. 1619), aged 16, British settler travelling aboard the ship "The Dorset" arriving in Barbados in September 1635 24
  • John George, a servant sent from Bristol to Barbados in 1656
  • Elizabeth George, who settled in Barbados in 1659
  • Joseph George, aged 31, who landed in Barbados in 1683 16

Contemporary Notables of the name George (post 1700) +

  • J. Russell George (d. 2024), American attorney, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at the Internal Revenue Service from 2004 until his death in 2024
  • Matthew "Matt" George (1995-2021), American podcast host, known for his work on the podcast She Rates Dogs, he was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Los Angeles at the age of 26
  • Lloyd Dee George (1930-2020), American jurist, United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada
  • Phyllis Ann George (1949-2020), American businesswoman, actress, and sportscaster, First Lady of Kentucky from 1979 to 1983, Miss America 1971
  • Mary Antonia "Mari" Hulman George (1934-2018), née Hulman, American philanthropist and business owner, Chairperson of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 1988 to 2016
  • Camille "Bud" George (1927-2017), American politician, Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (1975-2012)
  • Jean Craighead George (1919-2012), American NewBerry Medal winning writer who authored over one hundred books for young adults, probably best known for her work On the Far Side of the Mountain
  • Lieutenant-General Harold Lee George (1893-1986), American Director of Information, Headquarters U.S. Army Air Forces, Washington, D.C. (1946) 25
  • Brigadier-General Harold Huston George (1892-1942), American Deputy Chief of Staff for Material and Logistics (A-4), Far East Air Force (1942) 26
  • Brigadier-General Charles Peaslee George (1886-1946), American Commanding General Artillery XXII Corps (1944) 27
  • ... (Another 137 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
HMS Hood
  • Mr. Edward O De St George (b. 1922), English Able Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Jersey, Channel Islands, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 28
HMS Repulse
  • Mr. William R J George, British Petty Officer "A", who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and survived the sinking 29
Monongah Mine
  • Mr. Albert George (b. 1884), American coal miner who was in mine 6 at the Monongah mine on 6th December 1907 when it exploded and collapsed; he died 30
Senghenydd colliery
  • Mr. Robert George (b. 1899), Welsh coal miner from Rhydyfelin, Pontypridd, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died
SS Atlantic
  • Mr. Richard George, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, survived the sinking
St. Francis Dam
  • Mr. William Randolph "Willie" George, American resident in Santa Clarita killed when the St. Francis Dam failed and flooded the area in 1928

Suggested Readings for the name George +

  • The DeMilles (Also George): An American Family by Anne Edwards.
  • George Genealogy by Keith H. George.
  1. Arthur, William , An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names. London: 1857. Print
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Burke, John Bernard, The Roll of Battle Abbey. London: Edward Churton, 26, Holles Street, 1848, Print.
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  6. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  7. Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
  8. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  9. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  10. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  11. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  12. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  13. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  14. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  15. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  16. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  17. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  18. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
  19. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
  20. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  21. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th September 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-st-vincent
  22. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  24. Pilgrim Ship Lists Early 1600's retrieved 29th September 2021. Retrieved from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  25. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Harold George. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/George/Harold_Lee/USA.html
  26. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Harold George. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/George/Harold_Huston/USA.html
  27. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2012, March 5) Charles George. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/George/Charles_Peaslee/USA.html
  28. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
  29. HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
  30. Monongah Mining Disaster retrieved on 8th August 2021. (Retrieved fromhttps://usminedisasters.miningquiz.com/saxsewell/monongah.htm).
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